Botswana

Botswana's government has kept its tourist industry exclusive in a bid to protect the country's wildlife. This approach seems to have paid off, as Botwana's national parks offer incredible safari opportunities and breathtakingly beautiful natural sights. The Chobe National Park, near Kasane, has the best variety of wildlife in the country; it's home to lions, leopards, buffalo, and the highest concentration of elephants in any African national park. Elephant-spotting is easier during the dry season, when herds congregate close to water sources likes the Chobe River.

The Moremi National Park, near Maun, includes the breathtaking Okavango Delta - the mouth of the Okavango River where it runs into the Kalahari Desert. The river can be explored by boat or mokoro (wooden canoe), while the nearby game reserves are home to elephants, buffalo, giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, antelope and more. Also in Moremi are the rocky Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring more than 4,500 cave paintings spanning time from 20,000 to just 100 years old. The hills are considered sacred by the Botswanian San people, who believe that their gods and the spirits of the deceased live in grottos there.